Athlete Ally Mourns Baseball Pioneer and Ally Yogi Berra
Contact: Sarah Kennedy, sarah.kennedy@athleteally.org
Today Athlete Ally mourns the death of Yogi Berra, 90, a pioneer in baseball and a partner in Athlete Ally’s work.
“We will remember Yogi Berra for his values and his courage. He was a true pioneer for inclusion in sport, and a personal hero of mine. Not only was he one of the best catchers in MLB history, but he was strongly committed to diversity, inclusion, and education,” said Hudson Taylor, Athlete Ally Founder and Executive Director.
Berra joined Athlete Ally as a champion for inclusion in sports and as an Athlete Ally Pro Ambassador in 2013. Under his leadership, the organization collaborated with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the innovative “Championing Respect” museum exhibit, which charts how sports has contributed to social change, from Jackie Robinson to Billie Jean King to today’s athletes working for LGBT equality. Athlete Ally presented Berra with an Athlete Ally Action Award in 2014. This July, the organization sent a letter to the White House recommending that Berra receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“As Yogi said, ‘Respect the game, respect others. That’s what I always learned in sports. Treat everyone the same. That’s how it should be,'” continued Taylor. “I couldn’t agree more. Yogi truly understood what it meant to be an ally, and he lived it every day. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we thank Yogi for teaching us all to value respect and inclusion in sport.”
Learn more about Berra’s collaborations with Athlete Ally:
https://www.athleteally.org/allies/yogi-berra/
Athlete Ally’s mission is to educate and activate athletic communities to exercise their leadership to champion LGBT equality. Founded in 2012, Athlete Ally has worked with the NBA, WNBA, and MLB on matters of respect and inclusion; led the Principle 6 campaign that convinced the International Olympic Committee to include sexual orientation in the non-discrimination clause of the Olympic Charter; and counts more than 130 college, professional, and Olympic athletes among its dedicated and active Ambassadors. www.athleteally.org